Card sorting device



Oct. 19, 1954 A. w. IFEIERTAG 2,692,055 CARD SORTi'NG DEVICE Original Filed June 14, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

427 90: VKFI/EE746 BY Oct. 19, 1954 A. w. FEIERTAG 2,692,055 CARD SORTING DEVICE Original Filed June 14, 1948 4 SheetS Sheet 2 I I 5 5 2/ ll F 76. 3 M "6 n n h a INVENTOR. Aer/me MFA/27K; BY

Oct. 19, 1954 A. w. FEIERTAG CARD SORTING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed June 14, 1948 ITNVENTOR. 42mm? VVJ-CE/IET/W A. w. FEIERTAG' 2,692,055

CARD SORTING DEVICE Oct. 19 1954 Original Filed June 14, 1948 4 shets-sneet 4 I //2 /0 y \T m 1 INVENTOR.

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Patented Oct. 19, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARD SORTING DEVICE Arthur W. Feiertag, Athens, Ohio, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Royal McBee Corporation, a corporation of New York 1 Claim. 1

The present invention pertains to devices for sorting cards, and more particularly to the selective sorting of marginally perforated cards.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 32,932, filed June 14, 1948, now Patent No. 2,525,405 issued October 10, 1950, entitled Card Sorting Device.

Cards of the type referred to are provided along one or more edges with one or more rows Of perforations which are grouped and identified by suitable indicia to represent desired classifications. In practice, one or a plurality of these perforations are notched or slotted out to the edge of the card, forming a pattern of notches or slots pertaining to a single classification. Such notched and slotted cards may be selectively sorted by passing one or more sorting rods through selected perforations of a group of cards, which perforations represent the desired classification. By then permitting the cards having notches or slots coinciding with the perforations penetrated by the rod or rods to disengage from the latter, while the remainder of the cards remain suspended therefrom, the cards of one or more selected classifications are sorted from a stack of cards.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a card sorting device of the character described which is readily and easily assembled and disassembled and can be readily and easily folded into a compact condition for shipment or storage.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus of the character described having means for locking different operative parts thereof in suitable positions for the various operations.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description and the appended claim.

The apparatus of the invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus the invention in operative position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, showing how the apparatus may be folded up for ease of storage and shipment.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing in full lines the apparatus after stacking the cards and also showing, in broken lines, the position of the apparatus for removing selected cards.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, detailed view of a notched card, such as are sorted by the apparatus of this invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, of the apparatus of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of the selector mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view along the line 7-! of Fig. 5.

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged, fragmentary, detailed views taken along the lines 3-3 and 99 of Fig. 7, respectively.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged, detailed fragmentary view along the line Iii-40 of Fig. 5.

Referring now to the figures of the drawings, the main structural elements of the apparatus are a base i supporting a back or frame 2, which, in turn, supports a card tray 3 and a selector mechanism 4. Base I is in the form of a dish-like structure having a main or bottom portion 9, front and rear flanges I0 and H, respectively, and side flanges I2 having horizontal outwardly turned top portions. Base I is also provided with beads 9a for reinforcement, and at the rear with upwardly extending brackets E3 on opposite sides of the base. Each bracket I3 is provided with a slot I4 having an upper, circular section l5 and a lower vertical section I6.

Tray 3 comprises a main portion or deck 20, a forward bead 2i, rearwardly extending tabs 22 and rearwardly slanting brackets 23 secured to the opposite sides and rearwardly of the tray. Brackets 23 are joined at their outer ends by stop bar 24.

Back or frame 2 is provided with a main portion or face 29 bent backwardly near the sides to provide flanges 30. On face 29 near each edge thereof is a vertical row of horizontal slots iii. The top of face 29 is bent forwardly to provide a flange 32, and each side flange 30 is cut away and extends upwardly to provide an ear 33 which is separated from flange 32 by a slot 34. The bottom of face 29 is bent rearwardly to provide a flange or shelf 35. Pivoted to the top of frame '2 is a member 36 bent to form a vertical extension 29a of face 29 and a horizontal shelf 3511 having an upwardly and outwardly turned edge portion. Shelf 36a, is provided with a vertical partition 3'! and a spring 38 to receive and retain a supply of selector rods 88. Secured to each end of vertical extension 29a and extending forwardly therefrom is an arm 39 receiving and holding a rubber grommet 40, as shown in Fig. 7 and, in broken lines, in Fig. 5.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the bottom portion of each side flange 30 is cut away to provide a rearwardly curving, recessed ear 42 and above each car 42 is a vertical, oblong slot 43. Frame 2 is pivoted to base I by a keeper bar 44, secured by 3 nuts 45, extending through oblong slots 43 and appropriate passages in brackets 13. Lugs 46 secured to ears 42 extend through and engage the sides of slots I4.

The Selector mechanism l is pivoted to frame 2 by means of arms or brackets 5t and pivot pins 5 l the latter extending through ears 33 of flanges 30. Each bracket 58 is in the form of a sheet metal strip so cut and bent as to provide an inwardly extending flange 52 cut away at the rear to provide a shoulder 53, and is further provided with an inwardly bent tab or arm 54 to receive a pivot pin 55. Selector tray 50 and the elements associated therewith are pivoted to brackets 50 by means of the pivot pins 55.

The apparatus is shown in operative position in Fig. 1, and is shown folded up for storage or shipment in Fig. 2. In folding up the apparatus, it is merely necessary to raise and tilt the tray 3, using stop bar 26 as a fulcrum, sufi'lciently to disengage tabs 22 from slots 3!, then lower the tray until it rests upon and nests within base I. Then frame 2 is lifted to engage the bottom of slot 43 with keeper bar M, which results in raising lugs #58- into a position such that, as frame 2, pivoted on keeper bar 54 is swung forward, lugs 46 slide upwardly through the circular section 55 of slot It. Frame 2 is then merely bent forward. into the position shown in Fig. 2. Finally, selector and brackets 59, pivoted on pins El, are folded backwardly into the position shown. In this position, shoulder 53 of bracket 50 rests adjacent to notch 3t, and all the various parts are compactly and securely brought together.

Selector mechanism t comprises a tray portion 66 which is pivoted to arms 55 by means of pivot pins 55, as mentioned above, and a head member or selector rod actuatin bar 6!. Tray 61'! is defined by forward and rearward longitudinal bars 62 and 83, respectively, transverse or end bars M, and transverse bottom bars 65. Forward bar 62 is provided with an upper row of perforations 6S and a lower row of perforations 61 shown in section in Figs. 5 and '7 and in elevation in Fig. 6. Rearward bar 63 is provided with upper and lower slots 68 and E59, respectively, in alignment with upper and lower rows of perforations 66 and 61, respectively. Head member 6! is also provided with upper and lower rows of countersunk perforations 68a and t-la, respectively, corresponding to and in alignment with upper and lower rows of perforations 6E and 51, respectively, of forward bar 62. The countersinking of perforations 66a and EM is more clearly shown in Fig. 7.

Head member 6! is carried by plungers 75 secured to each end of the head member and which slide through complemental channels it in end bars 6d of tray 60. Head member 65 is also provided with a locking plate or slide H which is slidably secured to the face of head member 6! by the ends of plungers extending through oblong slots Ila, and by means of washers 750; and retainers 151). Looking plate ll is provided with upper and lower rows of perforations T8 and 79, respectively, in alignment with perforations tea and 57a, respectively, of the head member proper. Locking plate H is also provided with an inwardly extending flange or ear 83 at one end thereof, which is received within a recess 86a in head member 5!. Within recess tea and secured between the inner side of flange 36 and the adjacent side of recess 80a, is a spring 8! which normally acts to urge locking plate Tl outwardly or to the left, as viewed in Fig. 5, so as to hold perforations 18 and 19 out of alignment with perforations 66a and 61a of head member 5%. Selector rods 88, each having a head 89 and an annular groove 90, are inserted through perforations i8 and 19 of locking plate I1 and through corresponding perforations 66a and 61a of head member BI when the latter is in closed position, as shown by full lines in Fig. 5.

The design of the countersunk perforations 66a and 61a of head member El and of locking plate H is such that the selector rods can be inserted while locking plate Ti is in normal, unaligned position. This is accomplished by having the perforations 65a and 61a countersunk, as described, and by designing oblong slots Tia so as to limit the disalignment of plate 71 to a position such that it covers about half of each perforation 58a and 61a. In this position, the selector rods 83 can be inserted without moving plate I! with fingers against spring 8!, but once the rods are inserted, slide 71 is deflected to right by countersunk holes, the locking plate T! will engage the grooves 9% when selector rod 88 limits in slot 68 and 69 and prevent outward movement of the rods until plate H is pushed or pulled to the right. This can be easily accomplished by placing a finger at top and bottom of slide 1'! (as shown in Fig. 6) and pulling or pushing slide to right against tension of spring 8|. The serector rods 83 are thus easily inserted, are securely locked in place when head member BI is extended to inoperative position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, as well as during rotation of the selector mechanism, and are easily removed.

Secured to each end of head member GI by means of bolts 9! is a cap or bumper 92, which engages the underside of flanges or ears 52 when the selector mechanism is pivoted through 180 to its inverted position.

Each plunger rod 15 is provided with an annular groove near its forward end. Each groove $55, when head member 6i and plunger rods 75 are in inward, operative position, is in alignment with a recess or channel 96, within which a ball bearing 97, urged by a spring 98, engages the adjacent groove 95. Thus, when in inward, 0perative position, the plunger rods and head member are yieldably locked in place. However, when it is desired to pull head member Bl into extended, inoperative position,'this may be readily accomplished by exertion of a slight pull on the head member ti. This yieldable locking means is operative to hold the head member in inward, operative position and prevent it from falling into the extended position as the selector mechanism is revolved about its axis.

The outer or rearward end of each plunger rod 15 is provided with a pin 99 extending outwardly in a horizontal position, and at such a point that when the head member 6! and plungers 15 are in inward, operative position, the pins 99 clear the ends of flanges 52, so that the selector mechanism may be rotated about its horizontal axis. However, when the head. member and the plunger rods are in extended, inoperative position or at any intermediate position, pins 99 engage flanges 52, and thus prevent rotation of the selector mechanism.

A cushion to prevent shock, noise and jarring as the head member BI is pulled outwardly into inoperative position, is provided by two springs H0, one of which is shown in Fig. 5 and to an enlarged scale in Fig. 10. Each of these springs is located in a recess or channel III in an end.

bar 64 and is secured to a pin H2. As the head member 6| and the plunger rods 75 are pulled outwardly into inoperative position, the pins 99 slide through slots H3 in the sides of end bars 64 until the pins engage the springs l! 0, which serve as limit members.

In operation, the apparatus is assembled and brought into the position shown in Fig. l. Selector rods 88 are inserted in perforations l9 and 79 of locking plate ll, thence through perforations 66a and 67a of head member 6! and on through perforations 66 and 67 of forward bar 62. Then head member 61 is pulled outwardly into extended, inoperative position. Marginally punched cards I 20 provided with upper and lower rows of marginal perforations l2! and 22, respectively, are then stacked in tray 60 with their perforated margins downward. It will be noted that certain of the marginal perforations, such as 12m and l22a, are slit all the way through to the edge of the card. With cards 20 in position, and with head member 61 in extended, inoperative position and selector rods 88 placed in the proper position, the head member 6! is pushed inwardly until it abuts against bumper washer 92a and tray 60, thus pushing the selector rods through the marginal perforations of the cards I20 and engaging their tips in slots 68 and 69 of rear bar 63 of tray 60. The selector mechanism is then pivoted forwardly through an arc of 180 on pivot pins 55 as shown by the broken lines in Fig. 3. The selected cards, 1. e., those engaged only by rods 68 engaging slits [2 la and H211, drop out onto the deck of tray 3 and may be removed, after which the selector mechanism may be swung around into its original position for rearrangement of the selector rod 88 or for inserting a new stack of cards I20.

It will be apparent that the apparatus of the invention adds to the mechanisms of this class, a number of advantageous features making for ease of assembly and disassembly, compactness when in collapsed condition and efiiciency of operation.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A card selector comprising a base, a frame,

means swingably connecting said frame at its bottom portion to the rear portion of said base for releasably locking the frame in an upright position and for movement of the frame from an upright vertical position to a horizontal folded position, said means including a slot formed in the lower portion of the frame and being parallel with the longitudinal direction of the frame, a pivot secured to the base member and extending into said slot in the frame, a pin projecting from the frame, said pin being spaced from and directly below said slot in the frame, said base member having a slot formed therein with a lower vertical pin seating portion and an upper arcuate portion for receiving said pin, said vertical pin seating portion being spaced from and directly below said pivot in the base member and said upper arcuate portion having the pivotal axis of said frame about said pivot as its center of curvation; a horizontally disposed card-receiving tray, means connecting the tray to the frame for vertical movement therealong from a position in immediate juxtaposition with said base to a position spaced from and above said base, the last-named means including a bail member surrounding the frame and having its rear portion disposed at a level above the top surface of the tray approximately the same distance as the width. of said frame, means for releasably locking the tray in a position spaced from and above said base, a sub-frame, means swingably mounting the sub-frame at the top of the frame for movement from an operative horizontal position at the front of the frame to an inoperative position parallel with and extending in the direction of the frame at the rear of the frame, and a card selector mechanism rotatably mounted on the sub-frame for movement with said sub-frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 529,171 Hegenscheidt Nov. 13, 1894 907,171 Poles et a1. Dec. 22, 1908 993,154 Dailey May 23, 1911 1,362,730 Mull Dec. 21, 1920 1,951,231 Antrim et al Mar. 13, 1934 2,396,242 Binz Mar. 12, 1946 2,430,107 Cronrath Nov. 4, 1947 2,509,546 Welk et a1 May 30, 1950 

